"Looking for America" is a song by Lana Del Rey. It was recorded on August 5, 2019 and produced by Jack Antonoff. The song was recorded while promoting her sixth studio album and fifth major-label studio album, Norman Fucking Rockwell. The song was officially released on August 9, 2019, simultaneously with "Season of the Witch".
Background and writing
"Looking for America" was conceptualised by Del Rey while in Montecito, California with her brother Charlie Grant in the wake of two mass-shootings. On August 5, 2019, Del Rey posted a video of her singing the song in the studio with Antonoff playing guitar and added the following caption.
- "Looking For America
- Hi folks came back early from Montecito with my brother this morning and asked Jack Antonoff to come into town because I had a song on my mind that I wanted to write.
- Now I know I’m not a politician and I’m not trying to be so excuse me for having an opinion- but in light of all of the mass shootings and the back to back shootings in the last couple of days which really affected me on a cellular level I just wanted to post this video that our engineer Laura took 20 minutes ago. I hope you like it. I’m singing love to the choruses I recorded this morning. I’m going to call it ‘Looking for America’"[1]
On August 8, 2019 it was revealed that the song would officially be released on August 9, 2019 along with the Del Rey's cover of "Season of the Witch".
Cross-references
- Del Rey sings about fireworks in "Behind Closed Doors" and bombs in "Change".
- The state of American politics is also a central theme in "When the World Was at War We Kept Dancing".
Lyrics
Took a trip to San Fransisco
All our friends said we would jive
Didn't work so I left for Fresno
It was quite the scenic drive
Pulled over to watch the children in the park
We used to only worry for them after dark
I'm still looking for my own version of America
One without the gun, where the flag can freely fly
No bombs in thy sky, only fireworks when you and I collide
It's just a dream I had in mind
It's just a dream I had in mind
It's just a dream I had in mind
I flew back to New York City
Miss that Hudson River line
Took a train up to Lake Placid
That's another place and time
We used to go to the drive-ins and listen to the blues
So many things that I think twice about before I do, yeah
I'm still looking for my own version of America
One without the gun, where the flag can freely fly
No bombs in thy sky, only fireworks when you and I collide
It's just a dream I had in mind
It's just a dream I had in mind
It's just a dream I had in mind
It's just a dream I had in mind